An Cosantóir

Dec 2017 / Jan 2018

An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.

Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/907882

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www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 25 "We expanded our clothing range about 10 months ago when we also become Ireland's only authorised retailer of 5.11 clothing," Richie Seery told us. "We have also started to stock workwear clothing or personal protective clothing as it's known. Our main brands include Dickies, Blåkläder and Helikon-Tex." They also stock outdoor and survival accessories to suit campers, hikers and scouts, with everything from first-aid pouches and compasses to backpacks and kettles, and Kevin Mooney told us they can make up a survival 'go bag' to suit an individual's specifications. Airsoft has been a very popular hobby for many years in Ireland, with participants ranging from 12 years to adult. Airsoft weapons are popular because they look so real. Most are manufactured under license from the original weapon manufacturers, and some are purposely designed for airsoft. There's a lot of misinformation around about the dangers of airsoft weapons, and they are commonly mistaken for BB guns, which fire 4.5mm or .77 calibre steel ball bearings and can be lethal, and are illegal in Ireland. Airsoft weapons fire a relatively harmless 6mm plastic pellet, also called a BB, hence the confusion, but they are not capable of firing a metal BB. Even so, Richie told us that they still don't sell airsoft weapons to anyone under 18 years of age. About 75% of airsoft weapons are bought by collectors and are not used on airsoft ranges. Most airsoft handguns are gas operated and fire maga- zines of 23 BBs, whereas airsoft rifles are generally battery operated and magazines can last for a day's gaming, firing anything from 30 BBs, to 120 BBs in mid cans, and up to 300 BBs in high capacity. Hobby Airsoft also provides maintenance and service for airsoft weapons. "I wouldn't recommend opening an airsoft weapon," Richie told us, "as there is a lot of moving parts and springs. We charge an average of €50 to service or modify an airsoft weapon, and that could include the parts." Modifying an airsoft weapon could mean getting an ex- tended barrel, fitting a better motor, or modifying the 'hop-up' unit, which controls the backspin on the BB and can extend the weapon's range from the average of 40m to near 60m. Richie told us that some people make the mistake of reusing BBs that have been fired. "Never reuse the BBs," he told us, "as you can't guarantee their quality after they've been fired and they can damage the weapon; plus they are relatively cheap: €13 will get 5,000 BBs." Kevin Mooney told us about the hobby side of airsoft. "It's quite a multifaceted hobby," he says, "from those that just collect weapons to gamers who play it as a sport. Then there are those that like modifying their weapons for shooting tar- gets quicker or further. A large percentage of airsoft hobby- ists go on to other shooting sports like archery or 'real steel', which is sports shooting with licensed firearms. There are a number of sites around the country that host airsoft games." Kevin then took us through the Camo Shop clothing brands. "5.11 (pronounced 'five eleven') takes its name from an international rock-climbing difficulty grade," he told us. "Its range of clothing and gear is cleverly designed for mili- tary, police, security or service personnel: from bags to boots and everything in between. The brand has been tried and tested the world over by security operatives." Swedish manufacturer Morakniv has been making knives since 1891, and the Camo Shop is the sole distribu- tor in Ireland. Outdoor survival enthusiast Joe Price took us through them. "We stock the full range," Joe said, "from kitchen to hunting, to construction, wood carving, fishing, survival, and scouting. They cost from €8 to €100 depending on speciality and they give a 'good bang for your buck', as the knives are designed to use less steel, which keeps the costs down. Although the blade is mounted into a moulded rubber handle they have the same strength as a full steel knife. Mor- akniv sold over 4 million knives in 2016, with a return rate of only 0.3% – that's some achievement – and the acclaimed Canadian bushcraft and wilderness survival instructor Mors Kochanski highly recommends Morakniv knives." The store is truly worth a visit and there are plenty of good deals to be had. hobby Airsoft and The Camo Shop are based at unit 3B, Ballymount Retail Centre, Dublin 24. Ph: 01-4568517 info@hobbyairsoft.ie www.hobbyairsoft.ie www.thecamoshop.ie

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